US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel has become sufficiently prosperous to purchase American weapons without relying on US financial assistance.
“Israel is now prosperous and rich enough to be able to be a sales country. They can buy weapons from us, but we no longer have to provide the financing,” Rubio said, adding that “it’s something the Israelis themselves have offered us.”
Asked whether Israel was ready to finance its own defense purchases starting in 2027, Rubio replied: “Well, that’s what the president said we’re going to do. So, ultimately, I think they could if they wanted to, yeah, absolutely.”
Rubio further emphasized that Israel had reached a level of economic development that no longer required the same financial support from Washington.
“On the question of financing, I think Israel has clearly graduated beyond that,” he said.
Trump claims Netanyahu proposed ending US aid to Israel
Last week, US President Donald Trump claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had personally proposed ending nearly $4 billion in annual American assistance to Israel.
In a telephone interview with Fox News' Fox & Friends, Trump said the two leaders had reached an understanding several months ago under which the assistance would end by December 2026. Israel would remain free to purchase American weapons, and could receive additional assistance if necessary.